Jon Okanes
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Coach Jeff Tedford said Monday that he expects quarterback Nate Longshore to be ready for Cal's next game, Oct. 13 against Oregon State. Longshore sprained his right ankle near the end of Saturday's 31-24 win at Oregon. X-rays taken after the game were negative. In a stroke of good timing, the No. 3 Bears have a bye week. "The bye is coming at the right time," Tedford said. "Nate doesn't rely on his mobility much, so I think he'll be OK as long as he gets healthy this week. I know he'll work very hard to rehab it."
Longshore completed 28 of 43 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Ducks, setting a career-high in completions and attempts. He suffered the injury after getting hit by Oregon linebacker Kwame Agyeman on an incomplete pass. Longshore was replaced by backup Kevin Riley for two plays, but returned on the Bears' next possession to hand off to running back Justin Forsett, who scored the decisive touchdown.
• Tedford typically downplays the national rankings, but he admitted that the attention from ascending to No. 3 in the polls has its benefits. "I think anytime you get the national attention from being ranked third, there's no question you're in the spotlight a little more, and recruits notice that," he said. "It's a feather in your cap when it comes to recruiting." As always, though, Tedford said the ranking is something that shouldn't have any effect on his current team. "Sure, it's great to be there, but we still need to get better," he said. "Our focus needs to be on getting better every single day. We need to continue to try to put it all together."
• The Bears are puzzled why Jordan Kay's 33-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter Saturday was ruled no good. Immediately afterward, Kay and a couple other players on the field goal unit looked around in disbelief. Kay thought the attempt was good, but the officials ruled it was wide left. "I've been trying to find a different camera angle," Tedford said. "The one they showed on TV, it looked like the kick was good. Sometimes the angle can be deceiving, but you have to think the officials under the goalposts couldn't miss that. I guess stranger things have happened." Tedford said one of the problems is that the goalposts at Autzen Stadium don't extend high enough into the air. "That was one of the issues," he said. "At that point, it's a judgment call. The explanation we got during the game was that it went directly over the top of the goalpost and it has to be inside it. You're talking about inches there when the poles are so short."
• Tedford said linebacker Zack Follett (neck) and fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou (knee) should be back for Oregon State and was hopeful that defensive end Rulon Davis (foot) also would return. Kicker Tom Schneider (quad) still is questionable. Backup defensive back Robert Peele, who also plays on special teams, is out 2-3 weeks with a high ankle sprain. ... The Pac-10 announced that the Oregon St.-Cal game will begin at 4 p.m. and be televised by Versus. ... Wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who exploded for 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon, is one of four players nominated for AT&T All-America Player of the Week. Fans determine the winner by text messaging "vote" to 87654. The deadline to vote is 8:59 p.m. Wednesday. The other nominees are Illinois wide receiver Arrelious Benn, Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson and Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill.
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